Summer Vacation
by clcummins12
Summary: This story takes place continuing what happened in the season 2 finale...hope you enjoy it. please Read/Review. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**So after watching the Season Finale, I decided to write a FF of my own, continuing what went on afterwards...So here's my "version" on it haha :)**

**I wrote this in, oh I'd say give or take 30 min., which is why it's so short. I plan to continue it; however, and chapters will get longer along the way, just wanting a starting point and summary of what happened :)**

**Please Read/Review and tell me what you think :)**

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 1

"See you in the fall." Castle called over his shoulder, turning to look at Beckett once more before he left the precinct. There was a look on Beckett's face that Castle couldn't get out of his mind. Was it a look of hurt? No, Beckett couldn't be wounded, she was too strong for that. Castle tried to push it out of his mind. He was going on a vacation, he didn't have time to think about things like that. Not only that, but he had to concentrate on finishing his book that his publisher had been nagging at him about.

Gina, Castle's second ex-wife and publisher, was going with him on his vacation. He hoped that she could help him stay concentrated on his book, badgering him each day to keep writing. He had asked Beckett to join him. In fact, he had gotten her to say yes, before she dismissed the idea with a shake of the head. But, she had said yes at first. That was until her logical/all work no play, side kicked in.

He thought about the way she had looked once he told her that this would be their last case together. How he was quite sure that there was hurt almost drawn upon her face. She had looked upset. He had been helping her with cases for two years now and no matter how hard he tried, she kept turning him down over and over again. Then Demming came into the picture.

God, how Rick hated that man. Just the name…Demming. Kate Demming, just the thought of it made his skin boil. The man had hardly been there for six months and he had already won Beckett over. Castle wondered what she saw in that man. Was it his charm? His looks? His occupation? Jesus, he was an author for God's sake. Who in their right mind would choose a cop over an author?

Kate had entered into the break room with a huge smile spread across her face. She seemed more alive, more her. She acted a bit flirtatious, Castle thought to himself. She had asked to speak to him privately. She was gloating, twirling her hair, biting her bottom lip. Kate Beckett was actually nervous. And she had been so close to telling him something. So close to letting her guard down. Then _she_ appeared and stopped Kate in mid-sentence.

So this is where the famous author found himself. Walking out of the precinct with his beautiful ex-wife by his side. True, not the original plans he had set out, but still plans none the less. What he needed was space and time. Time to think and space to breathe so he could re-evaluate what he wanted in life. Or more specifically, whom he wanted in life.

"So where are we off to now, Ricky?" Gina asked as they stepped out of the police headquarters disrupting his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?" he said, shaking his head coming back into the real world and getting out of memory lane.

"Where are we going now?" Gina asked almost impatiently.

"Need to stop by the house, pick up my things. Are you ready to go?" he asked turning towards her.

"I left my stuff at home. How about I go get it then meet you at your house around 3?" she asked him.

"Sounds good."

"Great. See you then." Gina turned to walk down the sidewalk to hop into a taxi.

What had he gotten himself into?

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**Reviews are greatly appreciated :) **

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**Also, check out some of my other stories about Castle and Beckett! :)**

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the reviews! I went back and changed the plane ride to a car ride, that was a mistake on my part and thanks for pointing it out.**

**Also, I know these chapters are super short, I plan on changing that soon after I get the characters a little more fully developed.**

**Thanks for keeping up with this story, hope you enjoy Chapter 2 :)**

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 2

The drive to the Hamptons had been hell. Living, burning, tortuous hell. Gina had begun to start pestering him to finish his manuscript. Reminding him over and over about the deadline.

"Richard, I'm just telling you so you won't get behind. You only have a couple more months, just this summer, and then it has to be ready to publish." She said as he closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat.

"Gina no matter how many more times you tell me, it's not going to help me write it. It just adds pressure."

"That's what you need; pressure to finish your book. How else am I supposed to get you to finish it?"

"Not by using stress. Did you know that stress is one of the main reasons for writer's block?"

"You haven't written in almost a whole month-"

"I wrote some just yesterday."

"Two lines do not count as writing, Rick. Most authors' write at least two thousand words a day."

"Well I'm not most writers."

"You've definitely proven that. Would you like me to read what some of your reviews have been lately?" Gina asked then, before he could answer, reached towards the back seat to grab her bag which was full of papers. "Ah, here we are. New York Times' says: _'Richard Castle has proven himself to be an incredibly gifted writer-'_"

"See, not bad."

"Let me finish. _'However, we are afraid he may have lost his touch seeing that it has been a year and not single book has been published. He is increasingly falling down the charts and if he does not pick himself up soon enough, many fear that the famous author may have to find a real job.'_"

"Ouch."

"I told you."

"That is a nice picture though." Castle said hinting towards the picture the newspaper had placed of himself.

"Picture, yes. The article, horrid. And here's another one."

"No thanks. I think I've had all the constructive criticism I can take. Trust me, Gina, I'm going to get this book finished. Just right now, I don't have any inspiration."

"Right. Because the only time you do have inspiration is when you're with your detective, isn't that right Ricky?" Gina said.

He didn't answer at first, wondering if he should tell the truth or make up some lie. True, Beckett did help him tremendously when writing about Nikki Heat. Hell, she was Nikki Heat, or at least, Nikki Heat was based on her. She was his inspiration, his muse. And yes, he had wanted more with her, trying to show her that he cared, but she had blown him off and then went to date someone else. He couldn't just stand there and watch her date Tom.

He needed some space, some time to think. He had always planned on coming back to work with Kate, but now, he wasn't so sure. He had gotten far behind on his books, as Patterson had pointed out_-'I mean really Ricky, just one book a year?'_ Maybe Patterson was right. Perhaps working with Kate was a bad idea, or at least working with her as much as he had been.

He turned to look at Gina, "She's just a muse. Nothing more."

"But you want her to be more, don't you Rick?"

He didn't answer her.

"I'm not blind. I saw the way you were looking at her back at the precinct. I know I may not be the easiest person to get along with, but for now, you're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. So let's just get this book finished and then we'll be done with it." Gina turned towards the front and for the first time since the beginning of the car ride, she did not say anything else.

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**Reviews, anyone? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok guys, so here's the deal. I completely changed this chapter. After weeks and weeks (and a writing conference) I realized that I absolutely hated it. It was horrible so I re-wrote it. There are some similiarities to it with the old one, but not much, the ending is completely different. **

**Review and let me know if you think it's better :)**

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 3

Castle downright hated himself. Why had he asked Gina to come along? He knew that she would try to pry into his personal life, so why? He had no sane answer. The only excuse he could think of was his feelings. He could go home, turn the car right around. Except, there was one problem at home, one problem that may have seemed small, but he knew that the wound he held went quite deep: Kate Beckett. He had been hurt when he saw her kiss another man. Surely she didn't expect him to stay around to watch that? He needed someone who he could familiarize himself with and Gina had been there. They had been married before for god sake, how much more familiar could you get?

He knew what he should have done. He knew right then and there that any smart person would turn around, taking them both home and realize that this was not the best thing for him. But he pressed on. He reasoned, telling himself over and over again that he needed to finish his book. He was an author and whether he liked it or not, he had deadlines that needed to be reached. He knew; however, that he would probably not be able to write anything. How could he when his inspiration was taken away from right under his grasp? Still, he had to give it a shot.

The drive to the Hamptons had always been an enjoyable ride to him. That was, until today. Today he found out how long an awkward silence can actually last between two people. This only added to the tension he was almost certain he was to experience once he reached the house.

After arriving at the house, Gina made her way toward the guest bedroom, carrying her luggage along with her. He almost laughed to himself as he watched her struggle up the steps with her coach luggage. _She always did manage to spend her money on worthless things_, Castle thought to himself as he made his way towards her.

"Here let me help you." He said reaching for the suitcase handle she held in her hand.

"Well thank you Richard, but I'm almost positive that I can manage just fine without your help." She replied briskly and began her struggle once more.

_Bitch_, Castle thought to himself as he went to retrieve his own luggage.

* * *

Castle looked at his watch. An hour had passed and still he faced a blank Word Document upon his computer. He had thought of converting his tactics to much better use, such as porn, but decided against seeing that Gina had managed to pop up at random times.

"Just making sure you stay on task." She would say each time she came in. Luckily for him, she had yet to look at the computer screen on which he was to be writing his next chapter.

_'Detective Schlemming cautiously made his way through the empty corridors. Quietly he placed his hand on the doorway that was just in front of him, not wanting to make a sound in fear of being shot. He slowly opened the door, stopping every so often. Peeking over, he silently crept into the room. He heard someone shout and just before he could raise his gun to fire he felt a tremendous blow to his right shoulder blade. Blood began oozing out and he fell to the ground, trying desperately to cover the wound. He tried to rise up but felt another sharp pain to the side of his body. No longer able to have the strength to lean up he fell back down to the ground. He felt a hot liquid surround his body and lifted his hand just in time to see red covering it before his eyes closed, never to be opened again.'_

Castle outright laughed at himself. "Nah, too easy." He said aloud as he began to erase the words that he had just written.

"Dinner's ready!" He heard Gina call from downstairs.

He quickly shut down his laptop hoping that he would be able to write better on a full stomach. He walked over to a pile of papers and laid them out on his desk. He had a folder full of crime scene photos and copies of crime reports that he had "borrowed" from the station. Just as he was about to leave, the corner of a picture caught his eye.

It was a snapshot of Kate that he had taken without her knowing. She had her brow furrowed, probably observing the crime scene that they were at. Her features were hardened by the scene that was set before her eyes. He saw grief, or pity, that showed through her eyes. Her hands were clenched at her sides. He never realized how much crime scenes had bothered her. He knew that some cases she had taken in the past had been hard for her, but if this is what she went through on a day to day basis, he didn't see how she could do it. _She was very strong, _he thought then corrected himself_, is very strong._

He looked at another photo, one that Kate never knew he had taken, one that he would probably be in a lot of trouble if she ever found out. It was a picture he had taken of her at one of his book signing's. She was smiling in the picture as she looked towards him. He looked closer and her eyes caught his attention. He saw something there as she looked at him, something that caused his heart to skip a beat and his breath to come quicker. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was that he saw, but there was no denying that she looked almost peaceful around him, almost relaxed and comfortable.

Castle realized all this now. He saw the hope she held and only wished he could share that dream of being with her as well. But now, there was no hope. He could go back, beg her to forgive him for taking Gina, admit his feelings to her, but he couldn't. She was with someone else now and not only that, but he made her happy. Every time he saw her with Demming she was smiling, why would he want to get in the way of that? Why should he interfere with someone who was good for her, someone who made her happy?

There was no point, he should have fought earlier. He should have confessed that he had feelings for her and that she meant more to him than just a friend; more than just a partner. He took the picture and placed it in the top drawer of his desk. He made his way downstairs hoping that inspiration would strike him sooner than he thought.

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Gina had set up a nice quiet dinner outside on the patio with the view overlooking the beach. The sun was setting and they were able to see the horizon line just above the waves. It was a nice view, one that many people were not able to see on a day to day basis.

Their dinner had consisted what started off as small talk. They hadn't really talked on a personal level in a long time, besides the night before, and there were a couple of things they had to catch up on. For instance, Gina had wanted to know how Alexis was doing, what she was getting in to; there was Martha of course and her acting career that she just had to talk about.

The talk of family kept them busy for a while; then Gina had decided to move on to more personal matters, "So that detective you keep following around surely delays you on your writing deadlines."

"Well if she wasn't there, there wouldn't be any Nikki Heat now would there?" He tried to stick to work, strictly to work and business.

"No I suppose not." She could tell that something was bugging him, that there was just something he didn't want to talk about. "Speaking of 'not being there', is my book almost there? As in, almost completed?"

"Your book? I like to think that I had some part in play with the book. After all, I did write it." Great, here it comes. Gina was known for her prying self. At times, she would not know when to stop. He had a feeling that this was going to be one of those times.

"How much have you truly written?" She asked staring him straight into his eyes.

"You know how I like my work to be perfect. And if it's not perfect, I spend mindless hours trying to make it that way. I still need to read over every chapter, see if there are things I should add, take away, I'm not even sure if I'm in favor with the first chapter." He was trying to avoid the question. It was better for Gina to not know that he was truly not even halfway through. Tonight was not a great night for him to get his throat chewed out, considering what had happened just a day ago.

"That's not answering the question." Apparently Gina knew him better than he thought; she had caught right on to his trick.

He gave up. "I don't think you would really want to know the true answer." He left it at that.

Her mouth twitched, almost into an evil grin, but decided to remain where it was. A shot of fury was next to hit her eyes. "You're not even halfway done are you?" No answer. "Rick, it's been almost a year and you haven't even finished past the fifteenth chapter! What the hell have you been doing all this time? Oh, that's right. You've been trying to court your detective. Do you not realize how important this book is to us-to me? You've worked too hard here to throw all your life away on some half-way beaten cop with a tragic history."

"Now wait just a second-"

"No, I am not going to wait. I'm sick of waiting! I've been waiting a whole year! Rick, this book could make or break you."

"Make or break me? Please. The reason I have so many fans to begin with is because of the 'Storm' series. You're making this out bigger than it has to be. True, I have been a little distracted, shall we say, over the past couple of months. But I'm here with you aren't I? I'm staying the whole summer here to finish this book. So don't you dare lecture me on how the business works."

"Oh of course, you're just a 'little distracted'. Is that the excuse you're going to use next year when you're behind on schedule? And what about the year after that? Do you not realize how this detective is breaking you?"

"Breaking me? What the hell are you talking about Gina? She's one who gave me the inspiration. There would be no Nikki Heat if it weren't for her." Now he was getting mad. Gina had no right to throw Beckett under the curb like this and insult her.

"Well maybe she gave you the idea, but she sure isn't helping when it comes to actually writing the book. It's obvious you want to sleep with her, just do her and be done with it." Gina took a sip of wine and looked at him from over the rim of the glass.

'Do her and be done with it.' Where had he heard that before? Oh yeah, his agent. God, did everyone think he was that shallow? How annoying could one person be? First she complains about his career, about how he's not doing his job. Had she not looked at the reviews lately? Heat Wave was still one of the top bestsellers.

"You're really dense, you know that?" He was using dense of course as the synonym for stupid here. And with that he stormed off, going up to write.

Jesus Christ! Why the hell did she have to be such an annoying publisher! An annoying ex-wife for that matter! Or even worse, an annoying bitch!

He sat down, rubbing his hands in circular motions along his temple. He bent down to retrieve his laptop, opening it and placing his hands on the keyboard, the way he had learned to in high school. He realized the only way he was going to get Gina to leave him alone was if he finished his book and he was going to do just that.


	4. Chapter 4

**** STOP! ****

**Many of you may not know but I did re-write Chapter 3. You can read the author's note, explaining why, on the top of it. I did place the notice on my twitter, so if you're not following me you may not have known. **

**One last thing, sorry it's taking me so long to update. Writer's block along with a busy work schedule have seemed to be taking over my life...BUT I am not on to a good start and plan to be updating faster :)**

**Now, with all that being said, here's Chapter 4... :)**

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 4

A week had passed and this case was going nowhere. She had been reviewing the notes over and over and yet, she was still in the same place she had been days before. She had found herself to be extremely busy over the past couple of days. She kept trying to tell herself that it was not because of him, it was not because the moment she had decided to step out of her comfort zone, Richard Castle had showed off his ex-wife. It was not because she missed him or wondered what it would be like if she had gone up to the Hamptons with him. No, it was simply because she had an extensive amount of paperwork that had to be finished. It was because she wanted to go on vacation herself, something she rarely ever did, just to be away from the chaos, the familiar surroundings.

Excuse after excuse kept flooding into her mind, making it impossible to concentrate on what was laid out in front of her. She was now becoming the hot topic for everyone's morning gossip. The news of her breaking up with Demming in hopes of dating the famous author had spread infinitely throughout the building. She began to notice every look that came her way, every pointing of fingers, even Ryan and Esposito's stares were observed.

She wanted out, needed out. Some place nice and quiet, some place where she could just think and not have to worry about anything. Not about paper work, not about murders, not about Richard freakin' Castle, just some peace and quiet. Was that too hard to ask for?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft, familiar voice.

"Hey girl. How are you holding up?" Kate looked up to see her best friend, Lainie, looking down at her.

"Honestly Lainie, I don't know."

"Ryan and Esposito told me how you were spending most of your nights here at the precinct. You're over working yourself. You need some time off, some time to rest."

"I just need to keep my mind focused on something. If I don't it wanders and I don't like the places it goes to." Normally Kate was not this honest with anyone. She didn't feel like taking the energy to hide anything from her friend though. She knew she would be telling her eventually, might as well get it out there now.

"Girl, what happened? I've heard so many different stories, I don't know what to believe."

She looked up to meet Lainie's eyes, "Yeah, well apparently there are a lot of rumors about me floating around here. It's hard to decide which ones are true and which aren't."

"Well by the looks of you I can tell that they are. Come on, girl. Let's go get something to eat."

Kate looked around the precinct noticing that many people had already left. It was getting rather late. Staying there until early in the morning wouldn't help her, she'd probably spend the time thinking about Castle-one thing she definitely didn't want to do.

Kate went to grab her things and followed Lainie to the elevator doors.

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Some girl talk turned out to be exactly what Kate needed. She needed someone who she could talk to and have them understand the way she felt. The way she felt torn, scared, and confused.

Torn when it came to her feelings for Richard Castle. She had always wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship with him, ever since she had first walked up to him at one of his books signings. Half of her wanted to date him while the other half was scared. She was scared of the way he made her feel, the way he had her all figured out, the way when she was with him it was almost as if nothing else mattered. She had never felt like this before and that scared her.

She was confused, having the illusion that he liked her. That's what Esposito had told her anyways. And it made logical sense, didn't it? Why else would Castle have stayed with her this whole time? Why would he decide to risk his life everyday by following her case after case after case? It had to be because he felt some sort of feelings for her, she had seen it in his eyes. The way he would look at her, the jokes he would make to pick on her-the way he would normally flirt with her. She had to admit, there had been some major flirting going on between them. So why? Why had he decided to take his ex-wife on vacation with him? Jesus, why couldn't she have said everything she meant to say sooner? Why had she waited so long?

"So you obviously know that there have been rumors about you. I didn't want to jump to conclusions so I decided to ask you first." Lainie said looking at her friend from across the booth. They had decided to go to an all night diner, able to buy cheap food and talk without being disturbed.

" I don't know where to begin. I mean, it all happened so fast." Kate said looking at the food left over on her plate.

"You broke up with the hot detective right? Why don't you start there?"

"I just told Tom that he wasn't what I wanted, that I was looking for something else."

"And by something else, you mean Rick don't you?"

"Yes. No. I don't know…There's one side of me that almost hopes that he's what I need in my life, but the other half fears it. I mean, look at him Lainie, he took his ex wife with him on vacation. His ex wife. What kind of guy does that? Esposito told me that I was the reason he was staying around. The way he said it made a lot of sense too. I mean, why else would Castle follow me around all day? Why would he want to risk his life? Just to gain a couple of notes? He doesn't need to follow a cop for that."

"Girl, I'm about to slap you silly. I told you that a long time ago, don't you listen? Of course Castle is here because he likes you. Anyone can tell by the way he acts around you, not to mention the way he looks at you when he thinks no one else is watching. He took his ex for the same reason you never told him how you felt. Fear. When he saw you dating Demming, he fled. He needed something familiar. He wants you Kate, he just doesn't want to see you with other men. "

"Well, it's not like I can do anything about it now. I tried to tell him at the party, then his ex showed up and well…"

"I don't think that the vacation between him and his former wife will last very long. I'm sure they'll be chewing each other's heads off before long."

"This may be bad, but I kind of hope you're right." Kate told her smiling.

Lainie laughed, "Who ever said that jealousy was wrong? The way I see it, you're just ready for your man to gain some sense and come back to the person he was meant to be with."

"I hope you're right." Kate replied taking a sip out of the coffee mug that was set before her.

It only took them a couple of more minutes to realize that they were almost both too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you tonight? I don't mind at all." Lainie said walking out into the cool of the night, Kate following behind her.

"No, I'll be fine. Besides you wouldn't like sleeping on the couch anyways."

They both stopped outside of the diner door, both almost too tired to talk.

"Alright, well if you need anything just call." Lainie said giving her friend a soft smile. They hugged briefly both thanking each other and then went their opposite ways.

* * *

Lainie couldn't sleep that night. She kept running through the conversation she had just had with her best friend over and over through her head. Kate had looked horrible. Not just in a physical sense, but a mental as well.

She must have picked up the phone a dozen of times intent on working out the feelings Castle and Beckett had for each other. She could tell that they both felt the same way towards one another. Everyone could see it. That was, everyone except the two of them. Was she going to have to do everything herself?

She got up and marched over towards her cell phone lying on top of her dresser. She ran through her contacts until she found the number she was looking for. She quickly pressed the "Send" button before she had the chance to think twice about it and chicken out. She waited patiently, but nervously, glad that the dial tone gave her time to think of what she planned to say next.

She smiled hearing the voice pick up over the phone, "Hello?"

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**Please Review :)**

**If you'd like to receive updates on my stories faster (such as updating a former chapter [like Chapter 3]), then follow me on twitter: clcummins12 :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I read something once that said, "If you don't like what you're writing, then neither will your readers." So here's a little heads up:**

**I did not enjoy writing this chapter. Something about it just bored me, but it was needed in order to set-up what is coming. So, in advance, I'm sorry for the boredom.**

**Oh and also, I'm going to move this rating down from 'M' because as you can see, there's nothing really in here to make it rated 'M' (unlike all my other stories); the rating may change in the future, we shall see =)**

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 5

A week had passed since Castle had first arrived at the Hamptons. This had probably been the longest week of his life, Castle thought to himself. Over this past week he had a lot of time to reflect on what was going on his life. Hell, he'd been alone most of the time. At least, whenever Gina had decided not to intrude. He had been trying to write, but his mind kept wandering off to home; to the precinct; to what had just happened before he left.

He tried to distract himself in the hopes of finding something else to think about. He had written a lot of his book, determined on getting Gina to leave him alone. Plus, he could use writing his book as an excuse not to see her throughout the day. He had gone down to the beach a couple of days this week, laying out; working on his tan and getting burnt in the process. This only made his week worse. He was ready to go home; ready to be around familiar surroundings. He thought for a second. Isn't that the reason he had asked Gina to come? To be with someone familiar; someone he could relate to? Someone who didn't make him question everything he was taught? Someone he would understand; someone easy to talk to? Beckett was easy to talk to, he thought.

The sun was just about to go down; Castle looked at the computer screen that was set before him. He had been seeing a lot of this screen in the last week or so. He took a deep breath, remembering where he had left off the character of Nikki Heat. She was just about to find an important clue that would help her solve the murder. A clue that could lead to…

Castle's cell phone began to go off, interrupting his thoughts. He grabbed it quickly in hopes of the caller being Beckett. The caller i.d. read 'Alexis'. A smile formed on his face as he settled back into his chair. He answered the phone, "Hey pumpkin."

"Dad!" Came the excited voice of his teenage daughter on the phone. "How are you? I miss you so much! I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages!"

Castle couldn't help but laugh to himself, "Slow down, slow down. I'm good; everything's good. It's all pretty much…sameish.. How are you doing? How's Princeton?"

"Princeton's amazing! I'm so glad I came! You would not believe how much we are learning here, dad."

Oh how glad he was to have such a mature daughter. "I'm glad you're having fun. How are the co-ed dorms?" Castle asked her, trying not to pry too much. If there was one thing Castle knew about Alexis, and he knew a lot, was that he could always trust her to tell him anything. And she could do the same with him. It was a kind of trust that they both had out of respect for one another; one that brought them even closer together as father and daughter.

"They're fine dad, don't worry. I met a new friend though."

"A boy…friend?" Castle asked her.

"No, dad. Her name's Chelsea and we're thinking about rooming together if we both do decide to come to Princeton for college."

"That's great! I'm so proud of you, sweetie." Castle breathed out a sigh of relief. He had never been comfortable when it came to boys who wanted to date his daughter. He tried the whole 'cool dad' routine, not wanting to be too strict on her. But truth was the idea of his daughter dating someone scared him. He knew that Alexis was mature and he could trust her with anything; but he wasn't sure he could say the same about all teenage boys that she could happen to date. In fact, if she did indeed find someone to date, they would have to talk about it. He would have to see if he could get Beckett to run another background check on-

"Thanks dad. So what have you been up to so far this summer? How's Beckett?" Alexis asked, waking him from his thoughts.

"It's been busy. Gina's been keeping me-"

"Gina? What is Gina doing there?" Alexis asked, startled.

"Well she's the one who I told you I tried to convince, but she said no at first, and…"Castle trailed off, a little bit confused, "I thought you liked Gina?"

"I hardly even know her. Even though you were married to her, we never really talked."

"Oh." Castle said remembering back to the days when Gina could be found in his household. Come to think of it, he never remembered Gina taking Alexis out, or really even talking to her for that matter. "Well I just brought her so she could help stay on top of me finishing my book."

"And that's all she's there for, right? I mean, you still like Beckett, don't you?"

"Like her? I never said I liked her to begin with." He said trying to laugh it off, he should have known that wouldn't work, Alexis knew him too well.

"Please, dad. Everyone can easily tell the way you two like each other. It's so cute!" Alexis added smiling to herself. "All I'm saying is that Beckett likes you, whether you believe it or not, it's true. Have you tried calling her any this summer?"

"No…"

"Well you should. Use the excuse, 'just wanted to see how things at the precinct are going'." Castle laughed at his daughter's expression of using his deep, male voice.

"Maybe I will."

"You better. How will you be able to write Nikki Heat if you guys are fighting and won't talk to each other?"

"I like to think that my creativity plays a big role in all of this Nikki Heat business."

"Of course it does, dad. But you know deep down that there would never be a Nikki Heat if it wasn't for her."

How did Alexis get so smart, he wondered. It definitely wasn't from him, because if it was he would have called Kate by now. Then again, they definitely didn't come from her mother; his ex-wife. He supposed that he would have to take the blame for the teen's wisdom…

"I know, I know. I will."

"Right when I get off this phone, that's what you're going to do, promise?"

Castle laughed, "Alright, alright. I promise."

"Good. I love you!"

"Love you too sweetie."

"I have to go though. Chelsea wants to go grab a bite to eat then we're coming back to study."

"Sounds like a blast." Castle said joking around with her.

"Don't make it sound so boring." She laughed. "Talk to you later dad. Love you!"

"Love you too. Be safe!"

"Always am. Bye!" Alexis hung up the phone.

Castle sat for a moment reflected on the talk he just shared with his daughter. He couldn't be happier with the way she turned out to be. She was so mature for her age. He didn't even hardly have to put up with any trouble during her growing up teenage days. Thank God for that, he thought.

What was he supposed to do? Oh that's right, call Beckett. He looked at his phone. He had her number memorized; there was no need to look for her in his contacts. He began to dial her number, pressing each of the keys slowly. What was he going to say to her? 'How's the precinct coming along?' He had to think of something better than that.

What about the simple truth? He could tell her how he missed talking to her. No, she had a boyfriend, that wouldn't be right. He quickly pushed that thought out of his mind so he wouldn't have to think about Kate kissing another guy. He was just about to press the send button, when-

"Who were you talking to?" Came a familiar voice from the doorway.

Castle took a deep breath, praying to have patience. "Alexis called." He said looking at the woman from across the room. "She told me how she missed you greatly and hoped that you would continually check up on me every five minutes throughout the day."

"Don't be such a smart ass." Gina replied coolly. "At least someone's making you do your job."

"Yes because there is absolutely no way in hell that I can do it on my own."

"That seems to be the problem lately. Then again, your detective girlfriend isn't here to keep you distracted."

This was why he tried to avoid Gina as much as possible; this was why his week had gone by so slow. Every free second he had Gina would pop up around the corner and scold him for not working. He had been writing though. Not because Gina told him to, but because he wanted her _gone_. And this was the only way he could see that happening-he had to finish his book.

"Did you ever think that perhaps by you showing up everywhere that maybe, just maybe, that's become a whole new distraction in itself?"

"I'm simply making sure that you keep your priorities straight."

"Well then by all means, thanks."

Gina smiled at the sarcastic tone. "Do you want dinner?"

What was this, torture? The only way you can eat is if you write? Hell no, he was not playing this game. "I'll get something later." He turned his attention back to his writing. He wondered how fast he could type his name over and over. 'Richard Castle Richard Castle Richard Castle Richard Castle' was appearing over and over on his computer screen. At least he was making Gina think that he was working.

"I think I'm going out tonight to get something for dinner. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"Positive." Castle simply replied looking up at her. Then he looked back down and continued "working".

Gina smiled, pleased that he was at least getting some writing done. Sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get Rick to do anything. She realized that every time she brought up Kate that it struck something in him. She could tell from the ways he would look at her from rage and sorrow in his eyes that something between him and the detective had happened. She wondered what it was, but wasn't willing to pry in fear that he would snap, like he almost had last week.

Richard Castle was a confusing man, Gina thought to herself. Even when they were married, she never fully understood his way of thinking. She did have to admit, that the bit of mystery that surrounded him was one of the things that she was attracted to. She shrugged and walked out of the room.

Castle looked back up after Gina had left. He didn't know how much longer he could stand being with that woman. She drove him crazy! Every remark she said to him was an insult, putting down either himself or Kate. He couldn't think straight because of the anger that was arising in him. He looked back at the computer screen, intending to write some more.

His phone rang, startling him at first. He grabbed his phone, looking at the caller id. His heart froze when he saw the number. He answered it, slowly bringing it up to his ears.

"Hello?" He asked into the phone.

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**Reviews are GREATLY appreciated :) People have already told me how sloww I am becoming at writing haha; I'm trying :) **

**This summer's been super busy for me and I'm going to try to pick up the pace, but feel free to review and let me know just how slow I am or if you like where the story's going so far haha :)**

**Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm homeee which means... Internet Access :D**

**I know you guys have been waiting a long time for this chapter, I'm sorry. But in my defense, I've had this chapter written for a week haha**

**Anyways, here it is... :D**

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 6

"Hello?" Castle said into the phone. The number that had called him was not a number he recognized. His heart had stopped beating minutes before, of that he was sure of. The first thing that had popped into his head was two words: Kate Beckett. It had to be her. After all, who else could it be that was calling him at this late hour?

"Castle! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Came a mad voice over the phone.

"What the-Lanie?" Castle asked recognizing the medical examiner's voice.

"Of course it's me. And do you know how much hell you've caused for my girl over the past week that you've been gone?"

"No…what are you talking about?" Castle asked confused.

"What do you mean-Have you not heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About Beckett and Demming?"

"Oh..about them." Castle said with a hint of hurt feelings coming through his voice. "No, I didn't hear anything, but I do know about them being together."

"Then you obviously haven't heard the full story-"

"Did you know I asked her to come with me to the Hamptons?" he asked interrupting her.

"No, she never mentioned that…"

"And that she said yes at first? But then quickly caught herself and put her guard up like she always does." Castle could feel the anger seeping through him. But he needed someone to vent to; someone to tell how he really felt. He certainly couldn't tell Gina anything; he wanted to see her as little as he could. "Then, later that day, we were talking about the case and Demming shows up and begins to tell her about the beach house they have. Then, the next thing I know, I walk into them making out in the middle of the hallway."  
"Sounds to me like someone's jealous." Lanie said, smiling to herself.

"Not jealous; just worried. I mean, do you really think Demming's the right guy for her? They hardly even know each other…"

"Yup, definitely jealous. I don't see why you both won't admit that you like each other. The whole damn precinct can see that you're in love."

Castle was shocked at what she said but quickly gained his composure. "For the sake of not arguing, let's say that you're right. Then why did she go off and kiss Demming?"

Pain was creeping up on him as he remembered that night. He was walking through the precinct in search of Beckett so he could tell her 'congratulations' on solving the case. As soon as he turned the corner, he stopped right in his tracks. Beckett was down the hallway, her hands in Demming's. He tried to look away; he didn't want to watch this. That was when it happened: the kiss. That tore him apart. He couldn't stand to look anymore and turned away just in time before Beckett started walking towards him. He tried to make himself busy-acting like he wanted some coffee to drink in the break room. He even forced a smile when she stopped to talk to him. That night he realized just how much he valued Kate in his life and how much he wanted her to himself. Perhaps a selfish thing to wish for, but that didn't stop him nonetheless.

"The same reason you decided to take Gina to the Hamptons." Lanie said simply, bringing Castle back from his thoughts; from the pain that he still felt every time he thought about that night.

"Beckett's not writing a book." He pointed out.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"No…would you mind to share with the class? Because I specifically remember asking Gina to come so I could finish writing Naked Heat."

"And how's that working out for ya?" she asked him. She could tell from his silence that things were not working out. This pleased the M.E. greatly. "Am I really going to have to spell everything out for you all?" Silence. "God, you guys are both alike in more ways than you think-both stubborn. Anyways…" she said when the author was still quiet, "let me break it down for you." She took a deep breath, " Kate's terrified of you."

"What-"

"Don't interrupt, it's rude." Silence. Lanie took that as a sign to continue, "You are both complicated-whether you realize it or not. Kate has her many layers of emotional troubles and you have your egotistical fame lifestyle. Also, you are both opposites-one serious about life; the other couldn't give a shit. I'll let you figure out which one I'm referring to you as. Now, the opposite's have both good and bad qualities. The bad, well sometimes you don't seem eye to eye on things which can cause conflict. However, the best thing about it is that you both fit together, balancing each other out. It's like yin-yang, every bad needs a sense of good and vice versa. You bring a new sense of life to her, Rick. Which scares her. Basically, what this all boils down to is her fear and just as she was about to let her guard down and tell you the truth of how she felt, guess who shows up? Your ex-wife. I mean, seriously Castle! What the hell were you thinking?"

Castle waited a couple of minutes, thinking over what she had just told him. "Is it safe for me to talk now?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes. Please explain yourself." Lanie said dramatically.

"Alright. Here's my take on what happened. I recall Kate flirting, smiling, and kissing Demming. I left for the Hamptons because I didn't want to watch that. Just from seeing them kiss once tore me apart. You can't expect me to stay there and watch what was going on day after day after day."

"So, just for the record, you're admitting that you like Kate and were jealous?"

"I've liked her ever since the first day we met." Castle said seriously.

Lanie wanted to say, _'Awww'_, but instead remembered that it was up to her to get these two people to realize that they were meant to be together and to get them to do something about it. "Then how about you go tell her that?"

"Don't you think I've wanted to? That I've tried to? Like you said, she has many emotional layers and I didn't want to scare her off. And then she met Demming and seemed happy with him-I didn't want to ruin that for her." He paused for a second. "Does that mean she's not with Demming anymore?"

"Hell no. She broke it off right before your going away party at work."

"So that's why she was acting different when she came into the break room…"Castle said remembering back to that night. She had been more open to him, he thought as he recalled her saying something about how she didn't have to drink to take him. That had definitely caught his attention.

"Exactly. Of course, I didn't know it at the time, but I suspected something was up." She told him.

"So what has Beckett been doing if she's not been with Demming?"

"What she always does when she's hurt-burry herself with cases at work. She's been spending most of the nights there, or at least leaves really late and arrives really early."

Castle thought for a moment, "Alright, I have a plan."

They talked for about another hour going over Castle's plans and making arrangements here and there. The plan seemed reasonable and simple really. He planned to win Kate back and nothing was going to stop him.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" He asked skeptically after Lanie had told him some of the ideas she had.

"Of course!" Lainie said with enthusiasm, "But if she doesn't seem happy at first, don't worry. That's just how she is when she's put her guard up. All you have to do is stick to the plan and for god's sake, don't act like your arrogant self."

"Got it." He said into the phone.

"Alright, well it's late. I'm off to bed."

"What? No hot date tonight?"

"There you go with the arrogant self again. Good night, Castle."

"Until tomorrow."

He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day. He just hoped that everything would work out the way Lanie said it would. And with that, he turned off the light and went to bed.

* * *

**So here's the deal. On my other story, "You Owe Me" I asked all of you guys to leave me a Review just to let me know what you thought and I got over 20 reviews, so this is for ALL of you readers: PLEASE REVIEW! It really does mean the world to me :)**

**Also, I already have the next chapter written, but I'm gonna wait a couple of days to post it, just so I can get some lovely reviews :)**

**So, review=get next chapter **

**And yes, I am bribing you to write reviews for the next chapter to be posted :p**

**MUHAHAHA :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**WOW! Alright, so first let me start off by saying that you guys are ABSOLUTELY amazingggg! :) Over 20 reviews! You have noo idea how happy that makes me! That deserves a DRATW, wouldn't you agree? And look, because of all those reviews you get the next chapter. So think about it, if you did that all the time...hmmm... **

**And to those of you who usually just read and don't review, a big thanks! All of those reviews have really made my week! Keep it up!**

**And it would have been here sooner BUT I had a writing conference and decided to re-write it. **

**Lastly, a HUGE thanks to BetweenTwoWorlds and ChrisS - you girls are amazing and helped a bunch! **

**I am still not entirely pleased with this chapter...not sure why though... really nervous about it actually, but here it is *gulp*...**

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 7

She sat in front of the white board looking at each piece of evidence she had found. The murder weapon: a .22 caliber; bullets found in the victim. The victim: a young (approximately 24 year old) female; still a Jane Doe; Ryan and Esposito would try to search for some form of identification tomorrow. Place of crime scene: dumpster in a back alley; gun found in same place with no fingerprints. Witnesses: so far, none. Leads she had: absolutely nothing. Whether she would solve this case or not was a mystery in itself.

She looked at the timeline. Luckily, Lanie had been able to give her a two hour time frame of when the victim had been killed. That helped her a bit, but with no identification and no leads to follow, she didn't know where to begin. She just hoped that Ryan and Esposito would be able to find something that could help her in some way.

She groaned, rubbing her eyes and taking a long drink of coffee; praying for just an ounce more of energy. She had only gotten around eight hours of sleep in the past three days. She was completely exhausted and was about to fall to sleep from just standing there.

She kept telling herself that he had nothing to do with it; he had nothing to do with the sleepless nights of tossing and turning. The dreams she had that woke her up from her sleep-the ones of him leaving her with Gina and the ones of him getting shot…No. Richard Castle had nothing to do with any of it. Or that's at least what she kept telling herself.

She turned her attention back to the files that were beside her. She took them and began to read them for the fifteenth time now. She glanced at the murder board every once in a while, making sure she didn't forget anything. She knew there was something she had missed; some small piece of evidence that needed to be found to give her a theory.

She glanced at her watch- thirteen minutes after twelve. The precinct was completely empty. She jumped at the voice she heard behind her, "I heard about this term called 'workaholic'; I think I need to call Webster and tell him to put your name beside it." Her heart froze, she knew that voice.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. Just the fact that he touched her sent chills up her spine. "Kate." he almost breathed out her name, "We need to talk."

She closed her eyes trying to think straight. Resentment was starting to take over. Resentment over the fact that he had left her for over a week to be with his ex-wife.

He moved to step in front of her. She looked gorgeous. Tired, but gorgeous nonetheless. "Can we talk?" he asked almost at a whisper.

"I'm a little busy." She told him nodding at the murder board behind him. In fact, she had no desire to talk to him about what had happened. The past week for her had been hell and he just wanted to waltz into the precinct and pretend like they could just talk like good buddies. Hell no, that was not going to happen. She hopped off her desk and went behind Castle to stand in front of the murder board. She shook her head to try to clear her thoughts.

"So let me get this straight." She finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity of silence. She kept her back turned toward him still, "You go up to spend time with Gina in the Hamptons and then you come back here, why?"

He wasn't sure if he should tell her that he talked to Lanie in fear of receiving physical pain, "I have a feeling," he said carefully, "that there were some things left unsaid."

"You had a feeling?" She asked turning to look at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes…" He said uneasily. "Alright, I may have heard something."

She turned back towards the board, "Well I don't know where you heard that, but it's not true."

Her guard was up; he noticed it immediately.

She needed some space; some room to think. True, she still liked Castle but she wasn't going to give into him that easily. He had a lot of explaining to do and it looked as if so far he wasn't exactly forthcoming. She decided to refill her cup of coffee to help make her more alert and began to walk towards the break room.

"Kate!" Castle called after her trying to get her attention. "I know about you and Demming." He said making her stop right in her tracks.

"Excuse me?" She asked turning around to face him.

"Demming-you guys breaking up. I know about all of it."

"Who told you?"

"It doesn't really matter." He said quickly. "What I'm trying to-"

"It was Esposito wasn't it? Damn…why couldn't he just mind his own business." She said talking to herself.

"No, it wasn't Esposito."

"Really? Because he told me a little secret of your own."

Castle looked at her puzzled. "What? What'd he say?"

"Oh no. First, you tell me."

"Secrets? I didn't think I had any secrets…" Castle said going off into his own thoughts.

"You know what, Castle? Why don't you just go back up to the Hamptons with your trophy wife? There's nothing that's been left unsaid; whatever anyone told you, they were wrong."

He ignored the first part of what she said remembering what Lanie had told him, "I don't know about that. After all, you did break up with Demming."

"Seriously? You're going to use that as an excuse for going to the Hamptons with your ex-wife? Demming and I just didn't work out; it had nothing to do with you."

"Gina only came for one reason: to help me finish my book and-"

"Ah, yes. I think 'staying on top off you' was the way she put it." Kate shot back.

Castle listed one of his eyebrows. "Do I sense a hint of jealousy?"

"No. I'm just saying that you know why she went with you and it had nothing to do with your book."

"Well your wrong because the whole time I've been up there that's all I've been doing. She doesn't let me do anything else."

"So why did you come back here?"

"To talk to you."

"Well there's nothing to talk about." She told him firmly.

"Fine, listen. I'm not going to talk about this here. But if you want to talk, about anything at all, I'll be home alone tonight. Feel free to drop by." He gave her one last smile trying to offer her hope so she would come.

She knew that she needed to work things out with him. Castle was her best friend; she didn't want to lose him.

She watched Castle walk away. She could stop him; should stop him for that matter. She wondered who had told him about her. Probably Lanie, she thought remembering the diner and what she had told her. Lanie was right though, there had been an attraction between them and she did have to admit that she had always had a high school crush on the famous author. Maybe they could work everything out…

"Castle!" she called out before he had reached the elevator. They both paused, "I'll see you later?" She asked him, turning around to face him.

He smiled again, nodded. "Alright."

The elevator 'dinged', signaling its arrival. He entered it, happy with the fact that she was at least willing to talk to him. Kate Beckett was his best friend and whether they still had feelings for each other (God, he hoped they did), he didn't want to lose her over a stupid fight. Even if they didn't want to pursue their relationship any farther, they could still work together and he could still shadow her, never giving up the fight to win her over. She was his inspiration, his muse. But deep down, she was much more than that. Now all he had to do was convince her of that and leave the rest up to fate.

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**Another cliffhanger?**

**Why are some author's just so cruel? And yes, I am expecting black/hate mail for this chapter.**

**I'm sorry but it's one of those 'building block' chapters. And honestly, it's not one of my favorites. **

**I would try to bribe you guys for reviews again, but I don't really have to do that, right? You guys know by now that alot of reviews=faster updates?**

**Well, let's see... =)**


	8. Chapter 8

**First off, big, huge, gigantic thanks to BetweenTwoWorlds (who is sitting right beside me at the moment)! The ending would not have been written without her...seriously...**

**Just to let you guys know, it is now 4:16 AM; we have been working on this chapter since 11 so that's what... 5 hours just for the ending, so I hope you enjoy it. **

**Wanna hear a joke?**

**me: "So as of now Beckett is being oblivious."  
Between: "She's in denial."  
me: "Ok, let's go with denial."  
Between: "It's not just a river in Egypt."  
**

**Yeah...it's late and corny is funny. Enjoy... =)**

**(Oh, and really important message at the bottom) **

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Summer Vacation: Chapter 8

She paced back and forth in the hallway for what seemed like hours. She kept running through what she was going to say in her mind. She wanted this to be calm; civilized. She didn't want a huge blowout fight. They were adults and whether they liked it or not, needed to sit down and calmly work things out.

She raised her hand up to the door, stopping hesitantly running her thoughts through her head one last time.

The door suddenly opened, "Beckett?"

Richard Castle was standing in front of her with a coffee mug in his hand. She looked him over noticing that he had his pajama pants on and t-shirt. He didn't look like the same man she had seen at the precinct earlier. He looked worn out. _The lighting at the precinct must have hidden this from her_, she thought to herself.

"I was just about to knock." She told him standing uncomfortably in front of him.

"I could see that." He said suppressing a laugh.

"How long were you watching?" She said, a small tint of pink was beginning to hit her cheeks.

"Oh long enough. Then it was just sad." He told her as she glared at him. "I'm just kidding. I thought I heard something and saw you through the peephole. I did watch you pace a bit though. I must say, I've never known you to be the nervous type."

"So you gonna invite me in or make me stand out here all night?" she asked him avoiding the conversation.

"By all means detective." He said stepping out of the door frame and making room for her to walk through. "I never thought you'd be begging to come home with me." He said making her smile.

"Keep dreaming, Castle." She told him sarcastically even though a little piece of her new that it was true.

"Can I get you something to drink?" He asked her closing the door and walking up behind her.

"Nah. I already drank the last bit of coffee at work and I'd like to get some sleep tonight." _Even if it's just for three hours, _she thought to herself.

Once again he noticed how tired she looked and felt nothing but compassion take over him. She began to walk towards the living room and he followed her sitting down on the couch next to her. The both sat there restlessly stealing glances from one another, wondering who was going to talk first.

"Castle, I-" Kate started.

"I shouldn't have brought Gina to the Hamptons." He interrupted her. She just stared at him mouth wide open, flabbergasted. "It was stupid of me and I'm sorry." He said looking down and then back up searching her eyes.

It seemed like minutes had gone by before Kate spoke, "You had every right to take Gina with you."

"But I shouldn't have. I knew it was a bad idea at the time I just…I thought it would help me if I went back to a relationship that was uncomplicated."  
They were getting somewhere. Little baby steps at a time, that's what they both needed right now. They didn't need to rush into it, but by talking it all out, that would help. Just slowly talking everything through and trying to understand the other person's point of view.

"Uncomplicated?"

"I wanted to be somewhere safe."

"You didn't feel safe here? What does that have to do with you and Gina?"

"That's not the kind of 'safe' I was talking about."

Beckett raised an eyebrow, still confused, so Castle took a deep breath and continued, "You know, emotionally. I took Gina because I knew she couldn't hurt me. I don't care about her enough for her to hurt me."

"And what about me? You think I could hurt you?"

"You already have." He simply replied.

Kate felt her anger build and before she knew it she was raising her voice, "Me?" She questioned. "What about you? Normally I don't let people get close because I know that they'll end up hurting me, but you pushed and prodded your way in. And before I knew it you were there, in my life, every day. Whether it was annoying me, backing me up, following me about the latest case, you were there and nothing I did could make you go away. And the one time, the _one_ time, I finally let my defenses down and made an effort to let you in, you walked away."

Kate's anger sparked Castle's own and before he knew it, he was yelling back, "Do you think it was easy to just stand aside, play the best friend, while you went for guy after guy; none of them ever good enough for you? Do you think it was easy to watch Tom take my place; watch him take my place as your partner; working in sync with you day after day? And then, watch him take my place as your friend, the one who you ran to for comfort?"

"Tom was an easy choice. He understood me; he understood my job; he understood things that only another cop would understand. He wanted the relationship to be more, but even though he understood all those things, it couldn't be."

"That's what it was like with Gina. She knew me, we have a history. But it was just that, a history."

Kate got up off the couch and began to pace, her lips pressed in a thin line, until she finally rounded on him, "You gave up at just the time that I was ready to give in." This seemed to be what angered her the most. "You walked off with Gina, off to your perfect little world, back to your parties; your beach houses; your press releases. I don't live in that world, Castle. There's no place for me in that world."

Castle stood and moved closer to her, his eyes locked with hers, "Kate, there's always been a place for you in my life."

Kate took a step back, hurt and anger rolling off of her in waves, "But Gina took it. Gina took the place that I always thought was mine. You shut me out, Castle. You shut me out when you walked away with her. And I was mad." She was shaking with fury and her voice was getting louder with each accusation, "I was mad because you were giving off all the signals; all the signs. You were there telling me that I was extraordinary; that I could do anything and you were letting me into your life. You let me know your family and your friends; you made all these big gestures and then you just walked away-"

"Kate!" He said practically yelling her name.

"What?"

"I'm in love with you."

She stared at him for a moment. Her cheeks flushed and her breath came in rapid gasps from her burst of anger. Slowly the realization dawned in her eyes.

"What?" she repeated.

Castle gave her a soft smile, "I'm in love with you."

"Well then why didn't you just say so?" She questioned exasperated.

"Didn't think you wanted to hear it."

She smiled, "For a writer you're pretty oblivious."

"I don't do romance; I do mystery." He said with a grin.

They stared at each other for a moment, enjoying the familiarity of their relationship.

"Castle?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm in love with you too."

His grin widened, his cool blue eyes locked with her warm hazel ones.

"Kate?"

"Yeah?" She questioned unable to contain her smile.

His grin turned mischievous, "Wanna go the Hamptons?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

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**So you see the line at the end that says, "...his cool eyes locked with her warm hazel ones." Yup, well we spent over 15 minutes on this line. It went from: "excitement" to "lighting up" to "sparkling" then ended with "locked". Yup, fun night... Read below:**

***ATTENTION* This is the last chapter to this story. Now it's up to you readers: Should I make this a series and have another story of them going to the Hamptons together? Leave me a review and lemme know what you think =)**

**But, as of now, my full time and energy will be spent writing "Night Falls" so make sure to check out 'The Night Series'**

**Peace! **


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